250 Exposure Back

New Member

Hi New to the forum and wanted to know any information on the 250 exposure back that fits on Hassleblad EL cameras .I have just been given 4 EL bodies with 100mm lens along with 5 x70 exposure backs and one 250 exposure magazine ,but cant find any information anywhere on the 250 magazine , maybe a forum member has some information ,Thanks ogrove

Well-Known Member

Almost the same as a Magazine 70 but with the possibility to shoot 100 frames with standard 70mm film or 200 frames with special thin base film?
Not loaded with the cassettes and by that have to be loaded/unloaded in darkness.

Well-Known Member

Almost the same as a Magazine 70 but with the possibility to shoot 100 frames with standard 70mm film or 200 frames with special thin base film?
Not loaded with the cassettes and by that have to be loaded/unloaded in darkness.

New Member

No this is a completely different than the 70 magazine ,its about 8 inches long and has two cassetts inside ,havent opened yet as has a film inside .The shape is moulded to fit over the motor drive .Complete outfit come with 9 x70 magazines and 4x EL 500 camera bodies ,these all have special viewfinder plates ( removable ) that set exposure etc .This outfit was used by Aerial Mapping company around 1980s . . Ogrove

Well-Known Member

That Magazine 500 is sooo sweet. I would love to find one of those. I have six working A70 magazines, each presently loaded with usuable film.

I have a freezer that contains quite a bit of 70mm perforated film of many different flavors. It is the result of intense searching all over the place over the years. I still shoot 70mm. I should write a thread about my experiences with it.

Member

Listed below are some suggestions on how to increase the versatility of Hasselblad 70mm magazine usage. They are so cheap to buy and it hurts to see them used as glorified paperweights.

a) I use almost exclusively 70 mm for my black and white photography.
b) In addition to ebay as a source, fresh b/w film (type II) with increased red sensitivity is available from MACO Direct. About €90 for 100 feet.
c) Hopefully Ilford will include 70 mm rolls in their 2013 ULF run (if we all shout loudly enough).
d) Film does not have to be double perforated; single perforated film works fine as the perforations are not used for the film transport but only for linear constant film spacing, counter advance and double exposure prevention. (There is only one sprocket wheel on one side of the Hasselblad magazine)
e) The perforations are the same as on standard 35 mm film. This means that perforation matrices can be reasonably easily obtained and you can perforate your own film should you ever buy unperforated film stock. A jig to perforate short lengths is not difficult to make (70 exposures requires about 15 feet of film); larger lengths require more complex set ups. (Ceramic matrices are but better than metal ones).
f) You can use unperforated film; some owners have had their magazines modified so that the sprocket wheel has been replaced by a "smooth rubber wheel" but correct functioning depends on no slippage between moving film and rotating wheel which is difficult to achieve consistently in practice (not a method that I would recommend).
g) Alternatively, you can easily disable the film counter mechanism in the back and use unperforated film; spacing between frames will increase as the number of frames increases (because of the differential increase in the diameter of the film on the take up spool) but this is not a big problem - you will still get enough exposures with 15 feet of film; the magazine will still block when the film runs out so no lost frames on that score.
h) This disablement of the film counter need not be permanent; it can be reinstated (between film loads). The processes of disabling/enabling take about 5 minutes each time.
i) Ilford currently make long rolls that are wider than 70mm; these can be cut down using a film splicer to furnish 70mm unperforated strips of your desired length.
j) It is not absolutely necessary to have your film in cassettes if you are prepared to load/unload in darkness.
k) if you can use unperforated film, you are not bound to a 70mm width - there are films available in other widths such as 65mm for example.
l) using the magazine in "unperforated mode" would also allow narrower film with different perforation sizes to be used (of which there are many).
m) You can even make your own "panoramic 35mm back" using a standard 70mm magazine loaded with standard 35mm film. (A poor man's A2035 back!); image is not centred but the CZ lenses are good enough for very acceptable negatives; image is slightly larger than that produced by the A2035; viewfinder mask can easily be made or just mark the focussing screen with a felt tipped pen. Loading 15 feet of film will give you considerably more frames than the 20 frames obtained by the A2035 back. Film counter mechanism can be used ( see e) above).
n) 90 degree prism finder is recommended to facilitate use of camera in this panoramic mode.
o) If you happen to have a 6 by 4.5 70mm back, then you can take slightly larger than normal 35mm frames on bulk 135 film.

Well-Known Member

Thanks for infos. 10 years ago I was A-70 user for weding pictures or studio shot. The choise of film was not great, I used Vericolor and Ektachrom films.

Then impossible to proces them when the digital came. I sold my 2 backs on Ebay years ago for allmost noting. Now I got a beatilull silver A-70 from a second hand kit. Noone wants to buy this back and I excptect to use it as box to put key of the cave.

Well your intervention is interesting and I have some questions before to save my last A-70:

The „Maco DIrect“ film seams to be a Rollei IR film that is not only IR. But what about storage of this film in time.

How to process this film as the Kiderman wheel and boxes are impossible to find ?
BTW last week I had to cut perforted aera of 70mm film to put them to my Plustek 120 scanner !

Member

Thanks for infos. 10 years ago I was A-70 user for weding pictures or studio shot. The choise of film was not great, I used Vericolor and Ektachrom films.

Then impossible to proces them when the digital came. I sold my 2 backs on Ebay years ago for allmost noting. Now I got a beatilull silver A-70 from a second hand kit. Noone wants to buy this back and I excptect to use it as box to put key of the cave.

Well your intervention is interesting and I have some questions before to save my last A-70:

The „Maco DIrect“ film seams to be a Rollei IR film that is not only IR. But what about storage of this film in time.

How to process this film as the Kiderman wheel and boxes are impossible to find ?
BTW last week I had to cut perforted aera of 70mm film to put them to my Plustek 120 scanner !

I use 100 feet of Maco film about every six weeks and order another can when there is about 15 feet of unexposed film left; this means that I have little experience about the storage of this film with time. The fresh film that I received last week has an expiry date of 12/2016 on it; I would assume that storage is therefore not a problem.

As you correctly say, the film is Rollei IR but I have only ever used it as normal B/W film (i.e. without IR filters).

I use a JOBO 70mm processor (do not have the model number off hand but I could get it for you if you want). It basically consists of a loader, three reels and 3 tanks - two of which have lids. They do appear on ebay from time to time.

Otherwise Hewes make reels for 70mm film and you can improvise tanks out of suitably dimensioned plastic buckets. I do developing and fixing in total darkness so lids are not necessary.

I also roll my own 220 b/w - making my own paper leaders/trailers; 120 film is on the short side for use in an ELM/ELX in "A" mode; I use mainly A32 magazines.

For colour work, I use only 220 from Kodak or Fuji; the latter I buy directly from Japan (because it seems impossible to obtain in Europe). In Japan, the cost of a 220 film is <= (2 * 120); you must add the cost of transport + taxes of course. It makes sense to order larger quantities in order to reduce transport costs per roll.

Well-Known Member

Here is my favorite 70mm film, to use in my Hasselblad A70's. It is Kodak WL Surveillance film, ISO 400 speed. I shoot it and find it responds almost like Tri-X! I was lucky enough to find a military surplus place out in California USA years ago, which has the majority of a case of this stuff. So I purchased all of it (nearly twenty rolls) at $35US each. Enough to last a very good while, and it has 1997 dating!

I have processed this film in my 70mm Kindermann giant plastic tank, using PMK Pyro+, and a D-76 type of developer called ADOX Borax MQ. I have not been disappointed.

I cut the wet film into strips of twelve frames for hanging in my basement. Then into strips of four, to go into Vue-All plastic negative pages, for easy filing. I am looking forward to wet printing these negatives in the future, if I can get my old darkroom back together.

Member

Listed below are some suggestions on how to increase the versatility of Hasselblad 70mm magazine usage. They are so cheap to buy and it hurts to see them used as glorified paperweights.

a) I use almost exclusively 70 mm for my black and white photography.
b) In addition to ebay as a source, fresh b/w film (type II) with increased red sensitivity is available from MACO Direct. About €90 for 100 feet.
c) Hopefully Ilford will include 70 mm rolls in their 2013 ULF run (if we all shout loudly enough).
d) Film does not have to be double perforated; single perforated film works fine as the perforations are not used for the film transport but only for linear constant film spacing, counter advance and double exposure prevention. (There is only one sprocket wheel on one side of the Hasselblad magazine)
e) The perforations are the same as on standard 35 mm film. This means that perforation matrices can be reasonably easily obtained and you can perforate your own film should you ever buy unperforated film stock. A jig to perforate short lengths is not difficult to make (70 exposures requires about 15 feet of film); larger lengths require more complex set ups. (Ceramic matrices are but better than metal ones).
f) You can use unperforated film; some owners have had their magazines modified so that the sprocket wheel has been replaced by a "smooth rubber wheel" but correct functioning depends on no slippage between moving film and rotating wheel which is difficult to achieve consistently in practice (not a method that I would recommend).
g) Alternatively, you can easily disable the film counter mechanism in the back and use unperforated film; spacing between frames will increase as the number of frames increases (because of the differential increase in the diameter of the film on the take up spool) but this is not a big problem - you will still get enough exposures with 15 feet of film; the magazine will still block when the film runs out so no lost frames on that score.
h) This disablement of the film counter need not be permanent; it can be reinstated (between film loads). The processes of disabling/enabling take about 5 minutes each time.
i) Ilford currently make long rolls that are wider than 70mm; these can be cut down using a film splicer to furnish 70mm unperforated strips of your desired length.
j) It is not absolutely necessary to have your film in cassettes if you are prepared to load/unload in darkness.
k) if you can use unperforated film, you are not bound to a 70mm width - there are films available in other widths such as 65mm for example.
l) using the magazine in "unperforated mode" would also allow narrower film with different perforation sizes to be used (of which there are many).
m) You can even make your own "panoramic 35mm back" using a standard 70mm magazine loaded with standard 35mm film. (A poor man's A2035 back!); image is not centred but the CZ lenses are good enough for very acceptable negatives; image is slightly larger than that produced by the A2035; viewfinder mask can easily be made or just mark the focussing screen with a felt tipped pen. Loading 15 feet of film will give you considerably more frames than the 20 frames obtained by the A2035 back. Film counter mechanism can be used ( see e) above).
n) 90 degree prism finder is recommended to facilitate use of camera in this panoramic mode.
o) If you happen to have a 6 by 4.5 70mm back, then you can take slightly larger than normal 35mm frames on bulk 135 film.

A2035 for 20 x 24 x36mm?
there is also a Panoramic version for 24 x 56mm 22 images. maybe A2235? interesting: 2mm longer than 6x6/54x54mm.

6 x4.5 is 41mm x 54mm then If 35-120-adapter used 24 x54 or 35 x 54mm(unperforated film).
A/12V is like A16 but vertical and 12 images only. size the same like before but vertical.

I have the Jobo 5m Tank-system: its named Ro_kit 5037 -1 lt. have datasheet with all tanks from 16-126mm
70mm-reel is called 2517 (official 1.78cm i could load 172cm....) Testtank 2820 can be used , made for 10x20cm prints)-400ml chemicals
didnt know a 6 x 4.5-70mm magazine existed.

the large 500-magazine made i switzerland could have been made by Volpi(maybe not). only came to that company since they made the 24mm fisheye-to shoot inside tires.
I have 100/200 datasheet. maybe its online somehere.
someone showed(Nokton24?) how to alter A70 to take rollfilms.
Anyway: We have a solution to add shim to 70mm-spools for 61.5mmfilm-use. I have 3D-Printer inmind doing that. We will start with Kodak-spools first since they have clamps. Linhof-ones are thicker and have a slit for film-takup. Must check if 61.5mm can be loaded there.

Member

I use 100 feet of Maco film about every six weeks and order another can when there is about 15 feet of unexposed film left; this means that I have little experience about the storage of this film with time. The fresh film that I received last week has an expiry date of 12/2016 on it; I would assume that storage is therefore not a problem.

As you correctly say, the film is Rollei IR but I have only ever used it as normal B/W film (i.e. without IR filters).

I use a JOBO 70mm processor (do not have the model number off hand but I could get it for you if you want). It basically consists of a loader, three reels and 3 tanks - two of which have lids. They do appear on ebay from time to time.

Otherwise Hewes make reels for 70mm film and you can improvise tanks out of suitably dimensioned plastic buckets. I do developing and fixing in total darkness so lids are not necessary.

I also roll my own 220 b/w - making my own paper leaders/trailers; 120 film is on the short side for use in an ELM/ELX in "A" mode; I use mainly A32 magazines.

For colour work, I use only 220 from Kodak or Fuji; the latter I buy directly from Japan (because it seems impossible to obtain in Europe). In Japan, the cost of a 220 film is <= (2 * 120); you must add the cost of transport + taxes of course. It makes sense to order larger quantities in order to reduce transport costs per roll.

Member

btw There was also a Ro-Kit 5038 for 60mm(61.5mm/120) 8m for 1lt.
and Ro-Kit 5038(126mm) and 5039(127mm) 5m-1.5 lt and
Ro-Kit 5046 for 2x 8m 1250ml.
Ro-Kit 5033 for 16, 5034 for 46mm and 5035 for 35mm like 120 for 8m.
I have the information sheet incl. tank-parts.